Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY – This fall the Hofstra University Museum (HUM) is presenting an original exhibition, Land of the Rising Sun: Art of Japan; as well as a busy schedule of family programming. For more information on this exhibit and associated public programs please call (516) 463-5672 or visit the Hofstra University website at www.hofstra.edu/museum.

“Land of the Rising Sun: Art of Japan”

This exhibition, on view from September 30, 2013-February 2, 2014 at the Hofstra University Museum’s David Filderman Gallery, highlights Japanese works from the Museum’s permanent collections that span the 16th-20th centuries. This exhibition is supported in part by the New York Community Bank Foundation.

The exhibition, curated by the Museum’s Associate Director of Exhibitions and Collections Karen T. Albert, includes woodblock prints, hand-painted scrolls, and wood carvings with a focus on rich artistic traditions from the historic eras of Japanese culture. The exhibition, features works from the Museum’s collections that span more than 400 years highlighting how a combination of internal and external factors have influenced the evolution of Japanese culture, as well as how Japanese techniques have influenced Western culture.

Beth E. Levinthal, Executive Director of the Hofstra University Museum said, “The Museum’s collections include outstanding works from many centuries of Japanese culture and this exhibition provides an opportunity to share a number of these valuable authentic works with the community. We thank New York Community Bank Foundation for their support of the Museum as a regional cultural center.”

An illustrated brochure with a curator’s statement accompanies the exhibition. Additional interpretive educational materials including a timeline of the history of Japan, glossaries and examples of artistic techniques will be available on a touch-screen gallery kiosk.

Family Friendly Activities

The Hofstra University Museum (HUM) is offering activity backpacks, hands on workshops, an Art Caper and programming for children ages 6 and up and their families during the Fall 2013 season that explore different cultures, examine original works of art and get children involved in art-making activities. Two of the programs, on September 15 and December 14, are being presented in conjunction with Land of the Rising Sun: Art of Japan.

Mary Ann Scheblein-Dawson will be leading two origami workshops that will guide and teach families to fold paper in the style of Japanese origami to create original works that can be taken home. This program comes as a preview to the HUM’s exhibition Land of the Rising Sun: Art of Japan on view in the David Filderman Gallery September 30, 2013-February 2, 2014. This program will take place in the Museum’s Emily Lowe Gallery. Registration is free with admission to the Hofstra University Italian Experience Festival (outdoors, South Campus, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.).

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Second Saturdays

October 12, November 9, December 14, 1:30-2:30 p.m.

The Museum is launching a new series: Second Saturdays at the HUM. Kids and their grown-up companions will explore works of art and engage in a hands-on activity inspired by what they see.

On October 12, 2013 the HUM offers Viva L’Art! in Emily Lowe Gallery, where children will learn about the artists Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali in celebration of Spanish Heritage Month, as well as create their own collages and drawings inspired by these artists.

Families can discover more about American architects Frank Lloyd Wright and Louis Kahn and design and build their own structures on November 9, 2013 in Emily Lowe Gallery as part of Build It!

And in the David Filderman Gallery on December 14, 2013 in conjunction with the HUM’s exhibition Land of the Rising Sun: Art of Japan children will Roll It Up!as they explore the art of Japanese scrolls and create their own.

Families can enjoy a self-guided super-sleuthing adventure as they search for clues in works in the exhibition Arnold Newman: Luminaries of the Twentieth Century in Art, Politics and Culture and use the clues to complete a message as part of TheGreat Art Caper. This exhibition is on view from September 3-December 13, 2013 in the HUM’s Emily Lowe Gallery.

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Bethpage Federal Credit Union Global Explorer Backpacks

Tuesday – Friday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.; Saturday – Sunday, 1 – 4 p.m.

Children and their families may participate in a backpack adventure in which they will discover the beauty of the world’s cultures as they experience authentic objects from the HUM’s collections. While exploring specific works found on campus, children create their own keepsake artworks inspired by the art they see. The materials in the backpack provide tools and information that teach about diverse cultures of the world and about the countries where the works art originated. Backpack components and collection objects change throughout the year, giving returning families varied experiences.

Children can explore the outdoor sculpture collection on Hofstra’s beautiful campus with activity-filled animal, shapes or people-themed Sculpture Exploration Backpacks or with the HUM’s Sculpture Art Caper. All backpack and caper activities are free and can be picked up in Emily Lowe Gallery during Museum open hours. Backpacks are returned at the end of the activity and children keep the completed art projects to take home.